It looks like digital impressioning and restorations, both chairside and in the lab, will be the hot topic for 2008, as a number of major players are poised to challenge Sirona's CEREC system, which has enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the CAD/CAM dentistry space for 20 years, at least in the chairside market. The subject has been the buzz of the industry and media for a couple of years now, but dentists have largely maintained a wait and see attitude toward the technology. With the roll out of new systems, materials and capabilities in the category sure to be the highlight of the upcoming show season, I believe many more dentists will begin to see the technology as a viable alternative for their practices.
3M ESPE today announced the extension of its Lava brand in preparation of the company's launch of the Lava Chairside Oral Scanner. The entire Lava portfolio is now called Lava Precision Solutions and, the company says, "provides a heightened level of energy and focus to the vision of the organization. It also provides a consistent and clear message that shows the commitment of 3M ESPE to the growing digital restorative space." The "complete digital workflow solution" will be a key part of 3M ESPE's messaging in the coming year.
I recently had the opportunity to see the company's new scanner in action. It's impressive. A key difference between the unit and other image acquisition units on the market, such as CEREC and the iTero, is the use of continuous video capture as opposed to several still images. As the digital restorative category heats up, 3M ESPE is making a smart move by focusing on end-to-end services, focusing not just on the technology but the materials and lab network as well.
Of course, 3M also makes materials for CEREC and other systems, as well as the elusive and ever-to-be-released E4D, so the company is well positioned for just about any move the category makes.
The E4D chairside system, meanwhile, has been rolled out in a limited soft launch, with the company recently showcasing the system for fourth-year students at Baylor and running training programs for small groups of dentists, including well-known clinicians like Tom Trinkner, DDS. Still, the company's last big news announcement was eight months ago, at the Chicago MidWinter Meeting, when it announced the appointment of former Ivoclar Vivadent exec Dr. Gary Severence as VP of Marketing and Clinical Affairs. D4D marks an historic joining of forces, as the company represents a partnership of Ivolcar, 3M ESPE and Henry Schein.
As for Sirona, CEREC has deservedly established itself as the standard by which all other systems will be measured, and these new entrants will benefit Sirona by heating up interest in digital dentistry overall. While Sirona has certainly benefited from its first-to-market position, the addition of new systems should prove to boost credibility of the category in the eyes of many dentists.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Moving the Notebook
To all my die-hard fans, The Dental Reporter's Notebook has a new home at Dentalcompare. Starting today, I will no longer be posting here. You can find me at www.dentalcompare.com. Click on "Blogs" in the blue navigation bar, and you'll find me.
See you there.
Steve
See you there.
Steve
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
New Hygiene Push at Dentalcompare
As editorial director of Dentalcompare, the Internet's leading source of product and practice building information for dental professionals, I am thrilled to announce that Kristy Menage Bernie, RDH, BS, has joined Dentalcompare as Dental Hygiene Editor.
I often find that the people I respect and enjoy the most are those who most intensely hold my feet to the fire. And Kristy's certainly one of those people. I first met Kristy two years ago, when I was on the team at Advanstar Dental Media that was launching Modern Hygienist. As soon as we met, Kristy (who then worked for a competing publication) started drilling me: "Do we really need another hygiene magazine? How are you going to be different? What's the point? What's this about 'lifestyle' coverage? It sounds like fluff."
Luckily, Kristy's questions were all ones that my team and I had been asking ourselves daily, and I believe that's what led to MH being the great magazine it is today. And I have to admit, one of my proudest moments was when Kristy came up to me after the magazine's launch and said, "You know what? You did good. I didn't want to like it, but I do."
That said, I am even more excited to have Kristy on my team now. It's much more fun having her on my side of the table. Kristy first visited the Dentalcompare mother ship last month, and in one day of brainstorming on the future direction of dental hygiene content at Dentalcompare, she led the discussion on more great ideas than we could implement in a year.
Now that we're on the same team, I fully expect Kristy to keep challenging me to provide only the very best content possible for dental hygienists... content that will inform, educate, and inspire dental hygiene professionals to never stop reaching when it comes to their patient care and their career goals. Our mission at Dentalcompare, for dentists and dental hygienists, is to provide the information and tools you need to thrive. That's it. I encourage all dentists and dental hygienists to hold our feet to the fire to make sure we're doing just that.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, contributions and criticism, especially as we set out on the dental hygiene path and implement many new social media components that allow you to rate articles, comment on content and submit cases and case presentations.
Visit www.dentalcompare.com, or e-mail me at sdiogo@dentalcompare to find out how you can get involved.
I often find that the people I respect and enjoy the most are those who most intensely hold my feet to the fire. And Kristy's certainly one of those people. I first met Kristy two years ago, when I was on the team at Advanstar Dental Media that was launching Modern Hygienist. As soon as we met, Kristy (who then worked for a competing publication) started drilling me: "Do we really need another hygiene magazine? How are you going to be different? What's the point? What's this about 'lifestyle' coverage? It sounds like fluff."
Luckily, Kristy's questions were all ones that my team and I had been asking ourselves daily, and I believe that's what led to MH being the great magazine it is today. And I have to admit, one of my proudest moments was when Kristy came up to me after the magazine's launch and said, "You know what? You did good. I didn't want to like it, but I do."
That said, I am even more excited to have Kristy on my team now. It's much more fun having her on my side of the table. Kristy first visited the Dentalcompare mother ship last month, and in one day of brainstorming on the future direction of dental hygiene content at Dentalcompare, she led the discussion on more great ideas than we could implement in a year.
Now that we're on the same team, I fully expect Kristy to keep challenging me to provide only the very best content possible for dental hygienists... content that will inform, educate, and inspire dental hygiene professionals to never stop reaching when it comes to their patient care and their career goals. Our mission at Dentalcompare, for dentists and dental hygienists, is to provide the information and tools you need to thrive. That's it. I encourage all dentists and dental hygienists to hold our feet to the fire to make sure we're doing just that.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, contributions and criticism, especially as we set out on the dental hygiene path and implement many new social media components that allow you to rate articles, comment on content and submit cases and case presentations.
Visit www.dentalcompare.com, or e-mail me at sdiogo@dentalcompare to find out how you can get involved.
Dental Hygienists rock the Big Easy
Nearly 900 dental hygienists gathered in New Orleans June 21 to 24 for the 84th Annual Session of the American Dental Hygienists Association, a meeting that was historic on a number of fronts.
First, this meeting marked the official release of the report "Dental Hygiene: Focus on Advancing the Profession." The report, three years in the making, envisions a future of heightened professionalism, patient care and career growth and opportunities for dental hygienists. You can access the full report here. The following is from the ADHA website:
Three years ago, a selected group of dental hygienists met to establish what the future would hold for their profession if it were determined by those in the field. The result is Dental Hygiene: Focus on Advancing the Profession.
The report, which was released officially at annual session, takes a progressive stance with controversial statements and recommendations, such as:
- baccalaureate degree recommended as the entry point for dental hygiene practice,
- traditional method of providing dental hygiene services through a private dental practice is inadequate to meet the oral health needs of the country and must be expanded,
- given the conflict of interest that occurs when employer dentists regulate their own employees, dental boards make frequent decisions that limit the public’s access to dental hygiene services,
- dental hygiene professionals should have the authority to regulate themselves,
- promoting expanded practice settings and removing restrictive supervision barriers is essential to the current and future health of the nation,
- warning that without the development of an advanced dental hygiene practitioner, other allied health professionals (i.e. physicians, nurses) will assume the responsibility of meeting the diverse oral health care needs of the public, especially the underserved.
In my years covering the oral health profession, I have known dental hygienists to be passionate patient advocates and dedicated protectors of oral health, not to mention the best agents most dentists have when it comes to case presentation and acceptance. I always have viewed the dental hygiene profession as one with incredible opportunity for growth for those who take an entrepreneurial approach to their work. I encourage more dental hygienists to join the ADHA, to seek opportunities for growth and to take pride in their work.
While I may not agree with everything in the report, I applaud the ADHA on continuing to push for the professional rights of its constituents. And I encourage the ADA and other dental organizations to enter into sober and thoughtful discussion on the points raised. Only by pushing the limits will we find the wide open center, where all oral health professionals can succeed in their careers and serve their patients to the best oral health care possible.
NEW BRAND
The ADHA also unveiled its new brand at the meeting... a fresh look, that more accurately captures the spirit of this dynamic profession. (That's it at the top of this post.) The ADHA refers to its new brand as "a vital tool for allowing the association to evolve and remain relevant with the current professional, and personal, trends and needs of dental hygienists." Check out the ADHA website to see the new look and feel surrounding the brand.
Friday, June 8, 2007
The right fit
It's not easy breaking into the world of dental consulting, landing a spot on the lecture circuit or getting published in a top-tier dental publication or online venue like Dentalcompare. In my never-ending tours of dental shows, events and CE events, I have the pleasure of seeing and meeting the cream of the crop. Yet, over the years, I've begun to notice that once you've heard these folks a couple of times.... well... you've heard them.
While it's always a pleasure to hear the legends speak, I have always been more interested in the up-and-comers, the professionals who are bringing new ideas, attitudes and excitement to the profession.
That's why it was such a joy to spend last weekend in Charleston at the Speaking Consulting Network, where about 140 established and emerging lecturers and consultants gathered to soak up the experience of the legend Linda Miles and network with their peers. As someone who has attended this event four years in a row, it was exhilarating for me to see how so many of these newcomers have developed and advanced their careers. As a dental editor, it has been one of the highlights of my career to help many of the SCN crowd get published and establish themselves as thought leaders in their own right. Attendees at the event got the opportunity see some of the best speakers in action, speakers such as Jeanne Robertson and Janice Hurley-Trailor. For many attendees, the highlight was the opportunity to present short lectures to the group for critiquing. I've spoken before this group in the past, and I can tell you it's a bit intimidating... and I didn't have to worry about receiving any of what Dr. David Reznik so graciously calls "love taps." Congratulations to Dr. Marty Wade who was named the best of this Spotlight on Speaking event.
The challenge at SCN meetings always is to find the time (even with 72 hours of networking!) to talk with everyone you want to meet. It leads to late nights in the lobby bar and very little sleep. (Special thanks to my friends at 1-800-DENTIST... Larry, Naomi and Laura... for their stellar closing dinner featuring superb wine and food pairings and a setting perfectly designed to facilitate mingling.)
For me, one of the highlights was meeting Teresa Duncan, keeper of the excellent Dental Implant Blog. Teresa recently contacted me seemingly out of nowhere and submitted an excellent article for Dentalcompare. In person, she is intelligent, witty and driven to advance implant dentistry, and I look forward to a long working relationship. Anybody who meets me and immediately starts calling me out (including telling me to dump that geeky photo to the right) is a friend and colleague I want. Teresa provided a perfect example of my major challenge at SCN: balancing time with great friends while making new contacts. OK... this is a high-class problem and I'm not complaining. But it goes to my main point here... I think I have one anyway.... that we all need to be open to new ideas, new attitudes and the new people who will carry them to us. Let's stop doing things just because we always did them. Let's stop following the "thought leaders" just because they've achieved their position. Let's find the good stuff.
All week, in-boxes have been packed with celebratory e-mails expressing the joy and inspiration from the attendees, all of whom seem ready to take on the world, build their careers, and continue to find new ways to help your practice succeed. To the docs out there, I encourage you to seek out these newcomers. When you attend dental shows, balance your CE time between the well-known names and the people who are working for peanuts to bring you new ideas. And know that the right consultant can truly help you transform your practice, if you have the right attitude, seek the right fit and let them do their job. All weekend I heard stories of practices improving their productivity and profitability by implementing, and FOLLOWING, systems established by consultants who put as much intelligence, time and effort into developing them as you put into performing great dentistry.
We all know dentists weren't trained as business people. And, unless you're lucky enough to have an MBA running your office, signing on with a qualified consultant can provide you with the systems you need to take your practice to the next level. Are there bad consultants out there? Sure. But far more often, when consultancies fail, it's because of a bad fit. So do your homework and be open to newcomers. If you're looking for a consultant or a speaker for your next dental event or study club, do yourself a favor and check out the talent available in SCN's membership guide.
To those in SCN, keep up the good fight. Dentistry is a profession of abundance, integrity and ever-increasing promise. I encourage all of you to stay true to your mission and your ideals, to seek out opportunity, and to never forget that you will get the furthest when you remember that it's all about your client... not you. Help make happy dentists, and know that, through that mission, you are touching the lives of not just the dentists, but their families, staff and patients. Have faith, work hard, and if there's anything I can do to help, get in touch.
And to Linda Miles... what can I say. You're a great person and a true force in this profession. I'm trying to conceive of how many lives you've impacted, and I think it's probably incalculable. You are a mentor to many, an inspiration to all.
While it's always a pleasure to hear the legends speak, I have always been more interested in the up-and-comers, the professionals who are bringing new ideas, attitudes and excitement to the profession.
That's why it was such a joy to spend last weekend in Charleston at the Speaking Consulting Network, where about 140 established and emerging lecturers and consultants gathered to soak up the experience of the legend Linda Miles and network with their peers. As someone who has attended this event four years in a row, it was exhilarating for me to see how so many of these newcomers have developed and advanced their careers. As a dental editor, it has been one of the highlights of my career to help many of the SCN crowd get published and establish themselves as thought leaders in their own right. Attendees at the event got the opportunity see some of the best speakers in action, speakers such as Jeanne Robertson and Janice Hurley-Trailor. For many attendees, the highlight was the opportunity to present short lectures to the group for critiquing. I've spoken before this group in the past, and I can tell you it's a bit intimidating... and I didn't have to worry about receiving any of what Dr. David Reznik so graciously calls "love taps." Congratulations to Dr. Marty Wade who was named the best of this Spotlight on Speaking event.
The challenge at SCN meetings always is to find the time (even with 72 hours of networking!) to talk with everyone you want to meet. It leads to late nights in the lobby bar and very little sleep. (Special thanks to my friends at 1-800-DENTIST... Larry, Naomi and Laura... for their stellar closing dinner featuring superb wine and food pairings and a setting perfectly designed to facilitate mingling.)
For me, one of the highlights was meeting Teresa Duncan, keeper of the excellent Dental Implant Blog. Teresa recently contacted me seemingly out of nowhere and submitted an excellent article for Dentalcompare. In person, she is intelligent, witty and driven to advance implant dentistry, and I look forward to a long working relationship. Anybody who meets me and immediately starts calling me out (including telling me to dump that geeky photo to the right) is a friend and colleague I want. Teresa provided a perfect example of my major challenge at SCN: balancing time with great friends while making new contacts. OK... this is a high-class problem and I'm not complaining. But it goes to my main point here... I think I have one anyway.... that we all need to be open to new ideas, new attitudes and the new people who will carry them to us. Let's stop doing things just because we always did them. Let's stop following the "thought leaders" just because they've achieved their position. Let's find the good stuff.
All week, in-boxes have been packed with celebratory e-mails expressing the joy and inspiration from the attendees, all of whom seem ready to take on the world, build their careers, and continue to find new ways to help your practice succeed. To the docs out there, I encourage you to seek out these newcomers. When you attend dental shows, balance your CE time between the well-known names and the people who are working for peanuts to bring you new ideas. And know that the right consultant can truly help you transform your practice, if you have the right attitude, seek the right fit and let them do their job. All weekend I heard stories of practices improving their productivity and profitability by implementing, and FOLLOWING, systems established by consultants who put as much intelligence, time and effort into developing them as you put into performing great dentistry.
We all know dentists weren't trained as business people. And, unless you're lucky enough to have an MBA running your office, signing on with a qualified consultant can provide you with the systems you need to take your practice to the next level. Are there bad consultants out there? Sure. But far more often, when consultancies fail, it's because of a bad fit. So do your homework and be open to newcomers. If you're looking for a consultant or a speaker for your next dental event or study club, do yourself a favor and check out the talent available in SCN's membership guide.
To those in SCN, keep up the good fight. Dentistry is a profession of abundance, integrity and ever-increasing promise. I encourage all of you to stay true to your mission and your ideals, to seek out opportunity, and to never forget that you will get the furthest when you remember that it's all about your client... not you. Help make happy dentists, and know that, through that mission, you are touching the lives of not just the dentists, but their families, staff and patients. Have faith, work hard, and if there's anything I can do to help, get in touch.
And to Linda Miles... what can I say. You're a great person and a true force in this profession. I'm trying to conceive of how many lives you've impacted, and I think it's probably incalculable. You are a mentor to many, an inspiration to all.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Back to Vegas... with Nobel Biocare
When you cover dental conferences, you spend a lot of time in Vegas. In fact it's starting to feel like a second, and very strange, home. But each time I'm here, it's because that's where the top clinicians are. And wherever they are, I am.
Today I'm attending the Nobel Biocare World Conference, a gathering of 10,000 attendees, with many more attending, lecturing and performing live techniques from around the world via satellite. It is, by far, the most technologically advanced and exciting dental event yet seen in the United States. Even more exciting that the technology is the international flair. To walk the halls is to experience a United Nations of dental excellence, the halls and conference rooms buzzing with several languages at once. (Again, it's technology that makes it all understandable.)
If you want to see what you're missing, go here.
The focus of the five-day event is exploring the latest techniques and products from one of world leaders in oral health technology. The World Conference is a unique opportunity for dental professionals to receive state of the art education on innovative, scientifically based solutions for their patients.
The Nobel Biocare World Conference 2007, the world's largest dental educational and personalized forum, features a program with 35 live treatments televised via satellite from around the world, many of which are being shown live for the first time ever, including the first live real time broadcast from the University of Peking in China. Close to 340 internationally recognized dental experts will be giving lectures and conducting hundreds of hands-on sessions, workshops and seminars.
In a breakthrough in dental events, women speakers will have over 215 appearances. Another first at the conference is "Bring Your Own Case" discussions that provide participants an opportunity to bring in a patient case and discuss treatment solutions "one-on-one" with dental experts. Participants have booked more than 15,000 sessions. In total, Nobel Biocare is featuring 300 new products and solutions at the World Conference. Here are some of the most exciting:
The Nobel Biocare Maxillofacial Concept, premiers at the World Conference and supports the research and work of Professor P-I Branemark. This concept will assist specialized surgeons in providing smiles to those who need them most. Maxillofacial surgeries can correct a number of deformities in the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions, caused by disease, trauma and genetic defects.
The concept will use the complete Branemark System of dental implants (in lengths from 7mm to 52mm) and the broad line of prosthetic components for anchoring final prostheses.
When necessary, treating physicians can submit specifications for the production of customized products from the Nobel Biocare Karlskoga precision production facility.
The new concept will also employ a state-of-the-art 3D computer software package for diagnosing and planning maxillofacial surgeries. Nobel Biocare plans to offer future training courses on the software.
With the Maxillofacial Concept, Nobel Biocare will offer the market's most complete selection of fixed solutions for reconstructing a person's face, both inside and outside the mouth.
NobelActive: This world premier features a new implant design with an innovative thread pattern. The one-stage implant features a unique shape and a new thread design with a "self-drilling" capability to facilitate drilling protocols in areas of narrower osteotomy. The product is easy to use and provides high initial stability and good outcomes. NobelActive(tm) has been designed for increased soft tissue volume at the head of the implant, resulting in improved esthetics.
Curvy Abutment: Supporting its core concepts of Soft Tissue Integration and Easy Esthetics for Beautiful Teeth Now, Nobel Biocare introduces the Curvy Abutment. This implant abutment features an hourglass shape at its base and a curved margin, which have been designed to stabilize and promote an excellent soft tissue seal. This product will work with all two-stage Nobel Biocare implants.
I will have more every day from the Nobel Biocare World Conference, both here and at www.dentalcompare.com. We will have podcasts, articles and interviews with as many leading clinicians as we can corral.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
An educational oasis in Scottsdale
Few have ever complained of a lack of continuing education opportunities in dentistry. But to sense the spirit at the Grand Opening Celebration of the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry April 25, to stand in the gleaming lobby and witness the hundreds of clinical and industry luminaries assembled in one place, to view the satisfaction on the faces of these people as they watched top-flight didactic and hands-on education taking place in the most technologically sophisticated and comfortable learning environment ever to grace dentistry, was to believe that previous learning opportunities were sparse at best.
The opening of the Center is a bold move, and, many say, a big risk. The facility itself represents a capital investment of many, many millions of dollars, backed by Mercer Advisors and born of the brain and vision of Mercer CEO Imtiaz Manji and the passion for excellence and integrity of its new Dean, Dr. Gordon Christensen. Besides the financial investment at stake are the reputations of these two men, who have logged an equally hefty number of hours and miles building those reputations by spreading their visions for excellence in the clinical and business practices of dentistry.
I believe the risk will pay off. The Opening Celebration drew a Who’s Who of clinical leadership, all of whom were impressed with not just the facility, but the mission and vision that enlivens it. Many already have signed on as faculty, and many more are in negotiations.
Throughout two days of presentations, one day for the dental laboratory industry and one for clinical leaders, the focus was on the Center’s three-tier promise: To provide the highest-quality learning environment both in terms of faculty and technological infrastructure; to uphold integrity and honesty in education; and to expose all who study there to a best-practices approach to clinical and business pursuits that focuses on conservative, minimally-invasive treatment that honors each patient’s individual needs and wants. In his introductory comments, Dr. Christensen referred to the Center as “the people’s center,” an institution that will serve as a second dental school to prepare new dentists and update experienced dentists with the tools, techniques and principles to provide the best treatment to all patients, not just those who can afford $30,000 cases.
“There has been a disturbing trend towards over-treatment in our profession,” Dr. Christensen said. “As a result, we have fallen from the top of the list in terms of the public’s trust, to the middle. We have the ability, the tools and the technology to treat our patients with the highest integrity and still do very well. What is missing is the willingness.”
By combining Dr. Christensen’s passion for excellent dentistry, rooted in integrity, with Mr. Manji’s focus on teaching the business systems that allow dentists to thrive by treating each patient to the best care possible, the Center has the brain- and heart-power to make this reality. All in attendance agreed this is both laudable and achievable. The challenge will be convincing dentists that it is worth it.
That’s where my colleagues in the dental media can help. As the clinical leaders in attendance were challenged to uphold the teaching of excellence and integrity, so the dental journals and online information sources need to spread the message that practicing with integrity is not only possible, but profitable. We can keep presenting clinical research data unrelated to the work most dentists conduct and shallowly over-hyping the next big profit builder without context. Or we can provide thoughtful, relevant content that informs and educates the profession. We can devote our space and attention to information that is, as Dr. Christensen called it, “evidence-based and practice-focused.”
Our challenge in the dental media is to find excellence wherever it exists and use our unique positions to widen the audience, share and democratize the intelligence we find, so that all in the dental profession know where to find it. We can use our pulpits to heap shallow praise on the latest and greatest, or we can encourage and empower dental professionals to nurture and develop excellence for the benefit of their careers, their teams and, most importantly, their patients.
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